The present application relates generally to oral care implements, such as toothbrushes, soft tissue cleaners and combined tooth cleaning/soft tissue cleaning devices, and, more particularly, to an oral care implement having an enhanced oral care dispenser mechanism, such as a store of releasable dentifrice and an enhanced mechanism for dispensing the dentifrice during use.
The advantages of good dental hygiene are well known. Often, however, toothbrushes are forgotten when one is traveling or away from home. Hotels, health care facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, daycare facilities, schools, airlines, etc. have a need for single use disposable or limited multiple use toothbrushes that can be economically supplied to and discarded by individuals without a toothbrush and/or a water supply. Such toothbrushes could be used in vending machines, or distributed in large quantities for simple, portable use from anywhere.
Various types of disposable, limited use, or portable toothbrushes are known in the art. For example, some toothbrush systems have attempted to meet some of these needs by providing toothpaste within the toothbrush itself, through an integrated channel, for distribution through the toothbrush and around the bristles. This approach can be less economical due to the added manufacturing costs of toothbrushes with integrated channels. In addition, the toothpaste in some of these integrated channel toothbrushes, not being properly sealed, has a tendency to become dry, hard and stale. Further, these types of toothbrushes attempt to provide basic teeth cleaning without effectively engaging soft oral tissues or providing effective tongue cleaning.